Tuesday night we selected a nice site in the nearly empty Sparrowfoot campground and enjoyed a simple supper of Calico Beans, cornbread, and watermelon while Thomas chilled out.
We rose very early Wednesday, intending to get on the road at 6:00 AM while it was cool. We missed that by ab out 30 minutes, but we were very focused; our goal for the day was to get ourselves and our rig safely to Waubonsie State Park in southern Iowa, no matter what. But Scott went us one—or five!—better. He thought it would be best to drive about halfway, then park somewhere and let Thomas cool down for a few hours before we drove the second half. We punted the Cracker Barrel for breakfast plan, and while I concentrated on the details of watching both the speedometer (seeking to gently ease us up to 70 mph ) and the tachometer (religiously staying at or under 2,000 RPMs), and note that these two forces were generally in opposition to each other, Scott in his self-assumed role of research consultant found us a city bike path just a bit beyond our day's halfway point in St. Joseph, MO.
We really cannot say enough about the glories of St. Joseph, a city of some 70,000 situated on the eastern bank of the Missouri River. It was just gorgeous! The vintage 1940s homes reminded me of my Aunt Irma's house in Cincinnati, the lawns were neatly manicured, and everywhere the streets were lined with massive, old growth trees. We parked in a shady spot in Hyde Park, a truly lovely city park with picnic tables, playgrounds, and a large splash pad area for kids, and set off on one of the best bike trails we have ever encountered.
The wide, concrete path wound through stately neighborhoods, parallelled quiet boulevards, and climbed numerous sometimes-steep hills via graceful serpentine curves. We were astounded by the investment the city of St. Joseph has made, both in Hyde Park and in this trail. Massive, beautiful retaining walls had been built, curbs and dividers installed, and benches situated just for the bike path. Wow! We rode some six miles to Bartlett Park and back, and loved every minute of it.
Following our picnic lunch at Hyde Park, with Thomas having sat in the shade for about three hours, we bid St. Joseph a very fond farewell and hit the rode for parts north, refreshed and ready for our next adventure: our unforgettable first night at Waubonsie State Park.
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